The date has arrived for the photo session, and you and your client have met at the appointed location. You watch as your client’s family unloads from their mini-van. All sorts of “what if” scenarios run through your mind. You begin to have a surge of fear run through you. Where do you begin?

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I love my family. I grew up having pictures of everyday life taken all the time. The 8-year-old has a funny hairdo. We take a picture of it. Dad is working on a plumbing project under the kitchen sink with a toddler trying to help. We take a picture of it. The 5-year-old climbs into the dryer: not quite what we consider normal, or acceptable, but memorable nonetheless, so…you guess it. We take a picture of it.

We take pictures of everything: of our house in all four seasons of the year; of the fort made in the yard; of the little girls playing dress-up and re-enacting a wedding; of the young people working tirelessly on their computers; of the land-clearing project in the backyard; of the dessert that was made for supper last night; of….every day happenings in every day life.

All of this to say, family is important to me, and so are pictures. Why? Well, for me it goes deeper than just finding pleasure in taking pictures. For me, it is enjoying the family God gave me. It is living in the moment. It is savoring the beauty God has placed around me in the precious lives I get to watch grow up around me.

All too often, a family doesn’t take time to capture the moments. The joys of family-life are overlooked. With the increase of technology, cameras are readily available, and are now being carried in almost everyone’s pocket on their cell phone. We should take advantage of this technology, taking dominion of it, and using it to encourage the body of Christ.

I’ve had a hard time finding conservative, wholesome resources that I can recommend to other Christian photographers who ask me about tips for photographing families and children. Because of this, the Lord laid this project on my heart, and then He gave me the main points to start with. I took that to mean I should write. Then James Staddon of Lenspiration graciously offered to partner with us on the project. After years of waiting, the vision has become a reality. May Jesus Christ be praised!

Maybe you’re a homeschool mom with a point-n-shoot camera. Maybe you’re a student with an SLR. Maybe you don’t own a camera of your own yet, but are still interested in photographing people. Whoever you are, whatever phase of life you may be in, and whatever equipment you may or may not have, I hope this little book will be a blessing to you and will give you fresh ideas. I am not an expert; just a photography enthusiast with a heart for the family and a desire to capture the present to preserve it for the future.

 

Click here to purchase the 30 Tips for Perfect Family Photos eBook, with a new release price of only $6.00!